Happy New Year
by Audio Drops
Summary: While avoiding an old relationship on New Year's Eve, Sango discovers a new one in an unlikely place. Written for the MiroSanta fic exchange, for flametwirler!


A new year is supposed to be a new start, a time when you cleanse yourself of the troubles of the past year, and approach life once again with a fresh outlook and new motivations.

So why, then, had Sango decided not to go to Eri's party? Kagome had begged her to come... And why was she sitting in her apartment, alone, again, with the usual New Year's Eve variety show and a box of take out noodles? She let out a sigh, then shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She'd spent the last few hours in the same spot, completely spaced out in front of the television. She knew why she'd declined the party invitation: Because she knew that her ex-fiance would be there and she was sure she wasn't strong enough to face him.

Funny. She'd grown up training in her uncle's dojo, won first place in every aikido and kendo competition she'd been a part of since middle school, and was even now working as a bodyguard through her family's company... And yet she couldn't bring herself to face a man she'd broken it off with months ago! She took a bite of her dinner and glared angrily into the depths of the plastic bowl. It was really, really pathetic. He'd clearly gotten over it - So why couldn't she?

After another few moments of grumpy contemplation, Sango set the bowl aside and made to slip on her shoes and jacket. She'd go to that party. The door was open and she stepped outside and shut and locked it after herself. She wouldn't even iacknowledge/i him, and she'd have a great time.

She made it about half way to Eri's apartment before chickening out.

After wandering for a little while, trying to get her thoughts in order, Sango found herself at a small temple. It was late, and she was surprised to see a few people milling about, but she realized suddenly why that was as she heard the familiar ringing of the temple bell, signaling the beginning of a brand new year. Somewhere nearby there were fireworks and the sounds of drunken revelry. She must have missed most of the party by now, and what was the point of showing up to a New Year's Eve party after midnight, anyways? She shook her head and leaned against a small wooden fence, tucking her hands into her jacket pockets. It was probably for the best, anyways. That jackass would have made her night miserable just by his very presence.

It had been three months since they'd ended their relationship, and she'd made the decision to break up with him. He was selfish and completely disrespected her, and he'd even cheated on her! It was stupid that he still bothered her, but he did, and she couldn't help it. Every time she saw him, her heart sank to the bottom of her stomach. She just couldn't do it anymore. They'd dated for two years, been engaged for six months, and he had the balls to cheat on her. He'd thrown all of that away in a night...

So why couldn't she? She had every right to hate him, to never want to see him again... But the thing that she hated most about him was that she did want to see him again. She didn't hate him - Oh no, to the contrary... If he could come to her right now and ask her forgiveness, she'd give it in a heartbeat. She'd never been good with issues of emotion. She loved too much, angered too quickly, and forgave far too easily. All of her friends had told her this, and even Kagome, the most emotionally open woman she'd ever met in her entire life had said so.

"Oh, Sango-chan," she had said, "You throw your whole heart into everything you do." And where did it get her, huh? Sango sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. It got her sitting outside a temple by herself on New Year's Eve while her ex-fiance partied it up and didn't think about her at all.

"Now this isn't right," a voice behind her said, and she jumped and turned around, letting out a small yelp. She had been ready to punch whoever it was into next week, but she dropped her fist and looked properly apologetic when she noticed that it was merely one of the monks from the temple.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly, tucking her hands into her pockets. "I just - You startled me..."

The monk smiled gently and shook his head. "No apology necessary. It's my fault, I should have let you know I was there," he said. As he spoke, Sango allowed herself to look him over. He looked young, maybe only a year or two older than she was, and his hairstyle was rather unorthodox... Not to mention the slightly stretched earlobes with gold hoops through them! What sort of monk was this young man, anyways? She knew that it wasn't exactly a popular path these days, but she hadn't expected that they would allow that kind of thing. This temple must have really been scraping the bottom of the barrel.

"But as I was saying," he said, snapping her out of her thoughts, "It's not right for a young lady to be sitting all by her lonesome in this cold... And on New Year's Eve, even!" She scoffed and he gave her a charming smile and continued to push. "What brings you out here by yourself, then, to this little temple?"

"I mean no disrespect, houshi-sama," she said, "But I'm not really comfortable talking so personally with someone I don't know."

The monk gave her another smile and she wasn't sure whether it was charming or super irritating. "My name is Bosatsu Miroku," he said, giving her a polite bow.

"Er... Taijiya Sango," she said, returning the bow.

"There," Miroku said brightly, clasping his hands together in front of him. "Now we know each other." He seemed so cheerful about it that Sango couldn't help but smile.

"Nice try," she said, shaking her head. What was he doing talking to her, anyways? There had to be someone else for him to bother. She glanced around and realized there was no one. How long had she been sitting there moping on that fence?

"It was worth a shot," Miroku said, shrugging good-naturedly. "Though, seriously, if you're going to keep sitting out here by yourself, I'm going to have to stay and keep you company. I can't leave someone outside by themselves in the middle of the night... And I don't know if you've noticed, but it's really cold." He offered her his hand. "Why don't you come inside? We have some tea and warm sake, and you can continue thinking about whatever it is you're thinking about without catching your death."

Sango looked at his hand, then lifted hers and waved. "Oh, no, I'm sorry, but I really shou-"

"I insist," he said, and suddenly his hand was resting lightly on her shoulder as he turned her towards the main temple building. Anyone else and she would have socked them, but he was a monk and somehow, that seemed like a bad thing to do to a holy man.

Well... She could have a cup of tea and humor him before leaving, huh? It was a kind offer, and it might be nice to warm up a little bit before making the long trek home by herself in the snow. Besides, he was a monk. What was the worst that could happen? And she had her knife tucked into her belt, like always, so any funny business would be swiftly dealt with.

Miroku took her to a small house just beyond the main building of the temple. Warm, inviting light spilled out onto the snow covered ground as he opened the door, and Sango was surprised by how cozy the little house looked. Surely this wasn't the usual dwelling of a monk... Was it? She glanced at Miroku, who closed the door after them and gave her a bright smile before stepping out of his sandals and hurrying further into the house. Sango took a seat on the floor to remove her boots so as not to track mud and ice onto the tatami.

"Mushin-jii-jii!" he said. "I have a guest!" It was then that Sango realized that he was removing his kesa. He folded it and then laid it over the back of a chair, and Sango gasped when he began to untie the belt holding his robes closed.

"What are you doing?!" she demanded, standing suddenly. Oho, that monk was lucky she had both boots off already or she'd be using them on him right now. Honestly, what kind of girl did he think she was?! She had had just about enough of jackass men tonight, and she bent down to pick up one of her boots to throw at him.

"Huh?" Miroku looked at her with raised eyebrows, then down at himself. "...Oh! Hah!" He laughed, then dropped his belt and opened the robes to reveal - A dark sweater and a pair of slacks? Sango stared at him with one eyebrow raised, still holding her boot.

"Sorry," Miroku said, folding up his robe and kesa and tucking them into a box nearby. He didn't look sorry at all! "I should probably explain. My godfather is the monk who runs this temple." He gestured to a door nearby that was just barely ajar. Sango could hear snoring from inside. "He usually keeps it all up by himself, but sometimes he needs help. The New Year is one of those times. He can't ring the bells by himself, and tomorrow we're going to be very busy... That's where I come in. I'm not a monk, though - I'm a florist. My godfather raised me with the same training that a monk would receive, but the lifestyle didn't really appeal to me. Still, when he needs it, I come down and help him, and I can do all of the things that he can... But people are a bit more receptive to blessings and charms they get from a man in robes than a man in a sweater and jeans, eh?"

Sango didn't seem impressed, but she had set the boot back down. No wonder he didn't look like a monk. "You lied to me," she said. "You said-"

"Actually, I didn't," he said, though he did look slightly apologetic. "I never said I was a monk. You just assumed."

"You were wearing robes!"

"Well, yes, and I've explained why." He waved his hand a little, as if hoping it would help him change the subject. "In any event, I'm still offering you something to drink... That is, if you'll still accept it from someone who's not a monk?" He gave her a wink, and she shook her head but stepped inside just the same.

"Only because I've already taken off my boots," she said, and he looked rather pleased by this answer.

"Glad to hear it. Tea or sake, then? Oh, just have a seat," he said, gesturing to the small kotatsu in the center of the room. "Make yourself comfortable."

Sango took a seat at the kotatsu as she was directed. "Tea, thank you," she said, and he nodded and disappeared into the little kitchen. Sango took that moment to stretch out, wiggling her toes by the little heater underneath the kotatsu. They were nearly frozen solid from her trek through arctic Tokyo.

"Here we go," Miroku said, returning with a teapot and two teacups, as well as a plate of mochi. He filled all three cups and handed her one, then offered her one of the mochi as well. They were both silent for a little while, drinking their tea and letting the warmth soak into their bodies.

Sango finally broke the silence after a few minutes. "Why did you ask me in?" she asked. She had assumed that, being a monk, he was far too nice for his own good and overly concerned with the wellbeing of others, and perhaps even a little lonely... But he wasn't a monk, was he, even if he sometimes played the part.

"Well," Miroku said, setting his teacup down. "I have a weakness, you see... Whenever I see a lady on her own, looking so sad and beautiful, I can't help but reach out to her." He looked up to find his guest wearing an unamused expression.

"Is that so?" Sango asked, raising both eyebrows. Miroku laughed nervously, shaking his head.

"Not exactly," he said. "Though you are beautiful, and I was curious as to why you were by yourself, and what it was you were thinking about." He shrugged. "You were very deep in thought. You didn't even seem to notice that everyone had gone... And anyways, it's very late for you to be outside by yourself."

Sango snorted, but she was smiling a little. Miroku took that as a good sign. "Well," she said, "I'm a little bit more capable of taking care of myself than you think."

"Still," Miroku said, shrugging nonchalantly. "I still wouldn't feel comfortable leaving you out there all by yourself... And on New Year's, even." He took a sip of his tea, then added with a playful tone, "Well, and I'd rather not be alone on New Year's, either...!"

This caused Sango to laugh, and she gave him a big smile. She was beginning to feel relaxed around him, and she was surprised to realize that she hadn't thought about her fiance or the party since she sat down with Miroku. Maybe it was a good thing she'd come out tonight and missed that party. "I guess I don't mind it, then," she said cheerfully, moving to pick up the mochi. "Did you make these? They're good."

"Ah, no," Miroku said. "They're store bought. But you can believe I made them if you want to."

"In that case, you're a fantastic cook," she said, and the two of them shared a laugh. It went on this way for a long while. Sango hadn't ever expected that she'd spend the night chatting away with a virtual stranger in his house, but they seemed to get along very easily. It seemed strangely natural to be there with him, and despite his occasional flirting, he was good company.

They must have lost track of time, and Sango gasped in surprise when she realized the sky outside was beginning to lighten. "What time is it?!"

Miroku seemed just as surprised and he glanced down at his watch. "Well, it's 6:05," he said. "...Since you're already here, why don't we go out and watch the sunrise together? Then your New Year's Day will be complete."

Sango blushed just a little at this, but what harm could it do? "All right," she said, standing and adjusting her sweater. It had been a while since she'd seen the first sunrise of the year. She used to go out every year with her family, but it had been ages since then...

She and Miroku bundled up and took a seat on the little wooden fence surrounding the temple grounds. They sat facing towards the east and watched in silence at the sky around them continued to lighten.

Sango took a breath and let it out slowly before beginning to speak. "I was just thinking," she said, "About a party I was supposed to go to."

"Oh," Miroku said, his shoulders sagging. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take you away from your party."

"I wasn't going to go," she said, looking sheepish. "I was staying home... And then I changed my mind and decided to go, and then changed my mind again and found myself here." She sighed. "I broke up with my fiance a few months ago. He was cheating on me, you know, and so I ended things... But I knew he was going to be at the party."

Miroku put his hand on her shoulder in what he hoped would be a comforting gesture. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said, "But you can't let your life be ruled by whether or not you'll see this guy again."

"I know," she said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I know... I've been trying. It's just... I spent so much time with him. I was completely devoted to him, and to think that he could just so easily do that... And it's just made worse by the fact that I can't seem to forget about him. I miss him, even after everything... He was everything to me, and now I can't even look him in the face."

"It's not something you should just forget about," Miroku said softly, "But you shouldn't let it rule your life. He made the decision to throw everything away, and clearly he had no idea what he had if he could do it so easily. It's all right to miss whatever happy times you had, but don't dwell on what might have been." He turned to take both of her hands in his. "You're a nice young woman and I'm sure you have plenty to offer. You don't have to be happy to see him again, but don't avoid things or places because you might. Listen... This is the time when you leave everything about the past year and start over anew." He reached up and put a hand on her cheek, gently stroking her skin with his thumb. "Whatever happened with him is in the past now. He doesn't deserve to have someone like you all worked up over him... So cheer up, okay?"

Sango stared at him, baffled. Everyone she knew had said the exact same thing to her, but somehow, coming from his lips, she almost could believe it. After a moment, she set her jaw and nodded. "Y-you're right. He... He doesn't matter anymore."

Miroku grinned and patted her cheek, then playfully threw an arm around her shoulders. "Thatta girl! This year, you won't spend time worried about him," he said. "Oh! Look, the sunrise is starting!"

As they both turned to face the rising sun, Sango felt a strange contentment settling in her chest. He was right... There was no reason to fear her ex-fiance, no reason to avoid her friends because she might run into him. How funny, that by avoiding him, she'd run into someone who could help settle her on that decision. This year would be different. She'd look to the future, with her friends by her side, and her new friend, too. She smiled and leaned against him.

"Thank you, Miroku," she said softly. "Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year, Sango," he said cheerfully.

The warmth of the sun on her face and the company of a new friend... This year was off to a good start.

...

Wait a minute.

"Is your hand on my ass?!"

---

As the first visitors to the temple began to arrive, Miroku set aside the ice pack he'd been holding on his bruised face.

"First mistake of the year, eh?" Mushin said, his cheeks still red from his first sake of the new year.

"Not at all," Miroku said, shaking his head. "I gave her my number before she left."


End file.
